NFL's dumbest fines

By Matt Young

on January 6, 2016 9:19 AM

Fined for watching his daughter's halftime performance

The San Diego Chargers fined safety Eric Weddle $10,000 because he stayed on the field at halftime of a home game to watch his daughter in a dance performance. The five-time All Pro didn't miss much at halftime since the Chargers led the Dolphins 23-0 and an unnamed Chargers player said the halftime instruction from coaches amounted to: Keep it up.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams was fined $5,797 for wearing eye black with the words "Find the Cure" in support of Breast Cancer Awareness month - which the NFL supports by allowing players to wear pink during the month of October. Williams' mother and four aunts passed away from breast cancer.

Carolina Panthers cornerback Josh Norman's salute to the troops cost him $5,000. Norman wore red-white-and-blue cleats in the Panthers' win over Green Bay. Norman said the NFL was OK with the color of the cleats since they included some Carolina colors, but they dinged him because it had the words "Proud" and "Brave" written on them. The NFL doesn't allow words on cleats. Norman plans to auction off the patriotic cleats and donate the money to the troops at Fort Jackson, an army training base in South Carolina.

The Detroit Lions' Lance Moore and Eric Ebron thought it might be fun to wear Christmas-inspired cleats when they played the Saints on Dec. 21 on Monday Night Football. The NFL wasn't laughing. Both players were fined $5,787 for the uniform infraction. "Ain't no thing," Ebron said. "It was worth it.”

"Riding a football like a horse" is just a funny thing to read, but that's what happened. New Orleans Saints running back Khiry Robinson scored a touchdown against the Cowboys and celebrated by putting the football between his legs and pretending it was a horse he was riding in the end zone. The NFL fined him $8,681, because it's against the rules to use the ball as a prop during a celebration.

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The football is not a pillow, sir

St. Louis Rams receiver Stedman Bailey was fined $8,861 for celebrating a touchdown by laying down in the end zone and pretending to take a nap while using the football as a pillow. The NFL has rules against using the football as a prop and laying down during your celebration.

The football is not a pillow, sir St. Louis Rams receiver Stedman...photo-9208978.123108 - |ucfirst

NFL's not a Key & Peele fan

Denver Broncos pass rusher Von Miller was fined $11,567 for a sack dance that mimicked a skit from Comedy Central's sketch show Key & Peele. Of course, the dance involves lots of pelvic thrusting, so that may have triggered the fine.

See those cleats Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back William Gay is wearing? The NFL thought they were worth a $5,797 fine. Gay wore the purple cleats in support of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Gay's mother was a victim of domestic violence and was killed by Gay's stepfather. For his part, Gay knew he was going to get fined and was fine with it.

“The fine wasn't a big thing,” Gay said. “The cameras sitting right here, we all know why I wore the purple cleats. This is what we all want. We want attention to domestic violence so if it is me getting fined, then it is fine.”

Purple cleats are a no-no See those cleats Pittsburgh Steelers...photo-9208976.123108 - |ucfirst

Steelers player fined for goalpost celebration

Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Antonio Brown was fined $11,576 for leaping onto the goalpost and sliding down it after a touhdown against the Indianapolis Colts. They don't call the NFL the No Fun League for nothing.

Chicago Bears tight end Martellus Bennett was fined for wearing all black shoes in a game against Seattle. Bennett said the NFL is putting his health at risk by not allowing him to wear shoes that fit him the best.

"I'm just pissed off at the NFL ... they get mad because my cleats were too black," Bennett said. "They're perfect for my feet. I feel like they are supposed to protect the players, and I have a certain shoe that feels the best on my foot. I've had foot problems over the last two years. And they fine me because they're too black. They don't make them in white ... So I'm kind of [upset] about that. Hi, Merton Hanks."

Hanks is the man who doles out fines over equipment violations for the NFL.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer was fined $11,576 for pumping his fist and adding a pelvic thrust directed toward the crowd near the end of Arizona's win at Seattle. Palmer said he spotted his friends in the crowd and made the gesture toward them, not Seahawks fans.

When Philadelphia Eagles receiver Jordan Matthews caught the game-winning touchdown against the Cowboys, he jubilantly threw the ball into the crowd. Then, he had to pay a $5,787 fine. The NFL allows players to hand balls to fans, but fines them for throwing them into the stands, because the league is concerned about crowd-control issues that could come from fans fighting for a ball.

The San Diego Chargers fined safety Eric Weddle $10,000 because he stayed on the field at halftime of a home game to watch his daughter in a dance performance. The five-time All Pro didn't miss much at halftime since the Chargers led the Dolphins 23-0 and an unnamed Chargers player said the halftime instruction from coaches amounted to: Keep it up.